An Early Anniversary

So Laron surprised me last week with an early Anniversary celebration... You see, our Anniversary this year is 4 days after my due-date, so I figured we wouldn't be doing much of anything this year. I mentioned that to Laron a couple of weeks ago, kind-of as an advance apology, but instead he took it to heart & did something about it NOW, so we could still celebrate a special day together.

First, he called up my brother Tim (who's leaving for his mission NEXT week to Conception, Chile! Good luck!) & asked him if he could watch the kids for us. Then, he cooked up a nice breakfast, took me to Boondocks in Kaysville to go miniature golfing & then ended by going out to eat at Cracker Barrel. That evening I tried to come up with an extra nice dinner to top it all off, but it was kind-of hard to beat Laron's planning ahead & thoughtfulness.

And so, here's to you Laron & the (almost!) 7 wonderful years of marriage we've shared together... I can't believe we've already been married this long, & yet I can't imagine my life without you (nor would I want to!). You are what keeps me going, gets me through the sometimes long days of child-raising, & brings a smile to face whenever you are near. Our kids are lucky to have you as a father & I am doubly lucky to have you as a husband! Thanks for all you do & for being so thoughtful as to celebrate our Anniversary early with me! Love you lots!

Our Grown-Up Kimberly

Well, our little Kimberly is growing up on us again! She's now running around, following Skyler everywhere he goes, & getting into everything! Although she might LOOK cute & girly, her favorite thing to do lately is to play outside in the garden, lay in the dirt right on her belly & dig around for rocks (those rocks are her treasures---she'll carry them all around with her outside!). I've finally had to designate a certain jacket for playing outside in (because it comes back filthy dirty every time!) & another jacket for going into public places with.

She also loves stuffed animals & has to sleep with a specific one every night. She loves carrying around her baby & gets very possessive if Skyler tries to play with it. She also LOVES animals & could sit and watch the horses behind our yard for hours if we'd let her! If we ever find a book from the Library about dogs or cats or horses, she'll look at it every day, grinning from ear to ear as she points them all out to us.

She is also quite the independent girl & thinks she can do anything Skyler can do! If Laron & Skyler go outside to do some yardwork or something, she'll cry at the door with her shoes until they come and get her. That being said, we have to watch her really closely because she LOVES pushing the limits of things that we tell her not to do: going into the road, pouring out her water all over the floor, etc. And of course, all the while she'll look up at us with her mischeivious little smile, making sure to flash that dimple of hers at just the right moments.

And although Laron loves being rough & tough with his Skyler, I can tell he has a soft spot in his heart for his little girl, and she knows it! As soon as she wakes up from a nap or something, she loves running to Laron & having him pick her up, then pointing all around the kitchen to various places or foods & having Laron get her whatever she wants. And boy can that girl eat! She especially has been getting into vegetables lately, and ate probably a whole can of green beans the other day for dinner all herself! What a cutie!

My 1st Attempted Flower Arrangement

So a couple months ago, we were able to finally purchase this certain sofa table I've been eyeing to be my "decoration" table. It's too intimidating to me to decorate for holidays more than that (other than Christmas I suppose), but I still really craved to have an area designated specifically for holiday decorations. And so, St. Patrick's Day was my first holiday to decorate for on my new table... It was a lot harder than I thought to find St. Patrick's Day decorations that I liked, but I was well pleased with the end product! Simple, yet just my style.

And then came the next holiday: Easter. Any time I go to a craft store, I LOVE browsing through the floral department. I love looking at the pre-made flower arrangements (and gasping at the price tags on them!) & I love looking at the individual flowers and imagining how they might be put together beautifully (although I never was brave enough to actually attempt it). And so I searched for that perfect floral arrangement or wreath to add to my Easter table...

Well, after much searching and not much finding of anything to my liking within my price range, I decided to attempt putting together my own floral arrangement... And boy was it ever thrilling! I felt just like a little kid at Christmas-time as I was able to create something of such beauty! I'm sure it's not perfect & it probably doesn't follow all the right rules, but I have to admit that I was quite pleased with the end result! I was amazed at how proud I was of my little creation & at what pleasure & satisfaction it brought me to make it. That being said, I'm now kind-of craving to make another one or maybe even take a floral arrangement class someday to learn more about this particular kind of art. Either way, here was my Easter decoration table...

Now my only problem is figuring out decorations for the next holiday (the 4th of July)! I've been constantly amazed though at the process of beautifying and decorating our first house over the last year... I find such pleasure as a wife in making our house beautiful & liveable & a place where we can feel the Holy Ghost. Who knew that something so simple, could be so invigorating & yet so challenging?! It's sure a good thing this job isn't left up solely to our husbands though! :)

Almost there!

Well, with only 3 weeks left until my "due date", I'm feeling pretty ready to be done being pregnant... But then again, I also am well aware what I'm IN FOR at about that time: labor & delivery (I think that's self explanitory! Ahhhh!) & then sleepless nights of breastfeeding every 2 hours thereafter. So which would I rather? THAT or being sore, hot & swollen for another couple of weeks? I haven't quite decided yet.

Anyway, that being said, my body seems to be preping early like usual... As of my appointment this morning, I'm already dialated to a 4 & 70% ephased! I keep thinking that maybe I'll go early this time, though of course I never have, so we'll see. I'm just not quite sure what to expect in that department, since I've ended up being induced on the last 2 pregnancies, but there's certainly a first time for everything. Either way, I've got my bags packed & a few freezer meals made, so hopefully we'll be ready whenever our little Bailey Ann decides to join us.

Until then though, here's to enduring my last few weeks of pregnancy!

Skyler-Comments

I've been writing down funny or cute comments that Skyler has said over the last few months occasionally, & I'm getting quite the list, so I thought it was high-time I started sharing some of them!

-Ever since the first of the year, Skyler's been pretty proud of being a "Sunbeam". And he constantly reminds us of the fact in various settings by saying, "Mom, I'm a grown-up Sunbeam!"

-I asked Skyler the other day what his favorite thing to do with Daddy was. His answer: "Weeding in the garden!" I sure hope he continues to love doing that all his life!

-Several weeks ago, Skyler kept talking about "his brothers"... Our conversation would go something like this:

S: "Mom, my brothers always dip their apples in ranch dressing."

Me: "Skyler, you don't have any brothers."

S: "Yes I do... Christ & Jeff."

Me: "No, those are my brothers... They're you're uncles!"

Apparently he doesn't quite get it sometimes though, because he still occasionally talks about his brothers.

-One day Skyler overheard me talking to Laron about taking the kids to my parents' house. Skyler apparently was listening & asked, "Are Grandma & Papa your parents?" I gave him a prolonged, "Yes," with a smile. "Yeah!" he told Kimberly, "We're going to Grandma & Papa's!" It's funny when they start putting things together like that!

-One day after I told Skyler he could eat the extra hard-boiled egg I cooked, Skyler told me, "Mom, you're a good lady!"

-We asked Skyler what he wanted to be when he grew up. His immediate answer: A missionary! Good answer!

-We'd been talking about food storage awhile back & why we have it. All day long, no matter what we ate, Skyler would ask, "Do we have this in our food storage?" If the answer was affirmative, he'd respond with, "Oh good, so if something bad happens, we can still eat -----." The next week Skyler helped me put some extra cans of "vienna sausage" (which he loves!) in our food storage. On the way back upstairs he said, "Now, if our house burns down, we can run downstairs & get the vienna sausage & then get everyone out of here!" Pretty close Skyler.

-The other day when Kimberly was loudly crying over something, Skyler walked over to her & stroked her cheek as he kindly said, "Kimberly, I can't feel the Holy Ghost when you're crying."

-S: "I'm going to miss you Dad, while you're at work."

L: "I'm going to miss you guys too."

S: "Do you want to think about Mom & me & Kimberly in your heart while you're at work?"

L: "Sure!"

S: "Do you have enough room for all of us in there?"

L: "Of course I do!"

-A couple weeks ago Skyler & I had been talking about what foods come from what animals. The next day we were having Spaghetti O's for lunch when Skyler asked me, "So Mom, what animal is this made out of?" I just had to laugh!

-One day I overheard Skyler tell this to Kimberly after she'd apparently done something good: "Good job Kimberly! You're choosing the right! Guess what? If you be a good girl, you can live with Heavenly Father someday!"

-After a Family Home Evening lesson the other day on paying our tithing & reading the scripture in Malachi about the blessings that will be poured out upon us if we pay our tithing, Skyler said this a few days later: "Dad, when I look at this house, I can see all the blessings Heavenly Father is pouring on my head." Laron just looked at me, with raised eyebrows & said, "Wow, Family Home Evening is really working!"

-Skyler also loves looking at MAPS lately & loves choosing out destinations that he wants to go to someday. He's also at that stage where he thinks GUM is the coolest candy ever! If I bribe him with gum, I can pretty much get him to do whatever I want him to.

-Out-of-the-blue one day, Skyler said this: "Mom, aren't you glad you have a son like me?" Yes we are Skyler. Yes we are. You keep us entertained, amaze us with your kindness towards others, you say the BEST prayers, you pay close attention to everything we teach you & you remind us constantly why the scriptures say we need to become more like little children. Thank-you for your love & hugs & example! We sure love you!

Seminary Update

Just a quick update, for those of you wondering how things went with the Seminary Teaching thing... We just found out yesterday that Laron didn't make the cut to go on to Student Teaching. We're both disappointed, although Laron seems to have a great attitude about it, like always. I suppose it's better to get cut now, then to go on Student Teaching for another year and THEN not get offered a job. And he HAS learned a lot about teaching in general, that I'm sure will come in handy in many church callings to come. So without further ado, great job trying for your dream! I'm sure something will work out for us in the future!

Patience in the Lord's Timing

So, our last few months have been full of ups & downs... Some of which I'm going to talk about here, & others which are just part of every-day life. While no one enjoys challenges, sometimes it's easier to see the bigger picture or the blessings when you look BACK on them. So here's to going back a few months... :)

And so, on to our first dilemma... Obviously, last fall we knew we were expecting our third baby. We also knew that you just can't fit three car-seats into the back seat of a car. And so, we knew that in the next few months, we'd need to be upgrading vehicles to a van. Well, only a few weeks after we'd found out we were expecting (and before we'd even announced it), my Grandpa Erickson asked us if we were at all interested in buying his van from him. We assured him that we were! But he's a pretty down-to-business, take-care-of-it-right-now kind of guy, & so he arranged right then & there to have us come talk with him about it that upcoming Friday. Well, this wasn't something we'd exactly budgeted for yet, but having lived with him for a year, we knew that he'd be hoping for payment ON that day. And so, we eventually decided to use up our "Emergency Savings", as well as my "Piano savings" & pay him cash for the van, instead of trying to take out a loan for money that we DID already have. Although it never feels good to part with your "Emergency Savings", it was a lot harder for me to part with my "Piano savings", because I knew that it probably would never be replaced, at least not in the near future. And to make my heart-ache even worse, we just been looking at pianos over the last few weeks, which made it that much harder to part with. I knew we needed a van, but I was really looking forward to having my very own piano too. Selfish, I know, but it's hard to change gears from wants to needs, when your want is so close to being satisfied. But, without further ado, we bought my Grandpa's van from him, paying cash & now being pretty savings-free. A scary feeling, but at least we were debt-free, right?

Then, only a few weeks later, our dishwasher leaked... I was visiting my parent's house one evening & returned late at night to find water all over the floor. Being late & since Laron was at work, I simply got a towel & wiped it up, thinking that it probably wouldn't end up being a big deal. By the next day though, the floor had warped up & was considerably "bubbled" in the middle, making me realize that this was indeed a bigger deal than I had first thought. After talking with Laron about it, making calls to the insurance, & having a flood restoration company come out and look at it, we realized that because of our high deductible on our insurance, it would cost us about the same amount of money to replace the floor through the insurance or to just do it ourselves. And since we knew we didn't have the money to fix it right then (with Christmas coming up, as well as a new baby on the way), we decided that our only choice was to eventually fix it ourselves (the key word being eventually).

And so, for several weeks, we dealt with an annoying hole in the floor, where of course every crumb on the floor seemed to make it into & where each of my children craved to pick at & play in. A couple weeks later Laron found a website online where he could order free sample pieces of our kind of wood floor, so we hoped that maybe we could just find the right color for our floor & patch up the hole without spending SO much money out of our pockets. But we soon discovered that it's just about impossible to match a 30-year old wood floor color, because it has faded & been worn down so much over the years. And so, out of necessity & despiration, Laron creatively decided to just patch up our floor with our growing assortment of sample pieces & call that good for now. So now we've got a lovely little patch of mismatched wood colors right in the middle of our kitchen floor, with no real replacement date in the near future. But I DO have to admit that it is nice no longer having a torn-up hole in the middle of our floor anymore.

And so, the big question on our minds is, NOW WHAT? Our dishwasher had never leaked before & it's never leaked since, so do we start by replacing that? For now, I guess we'd just better start saving up at least for a new floor, but no one wants to replace a floor if the dishwasher's just going to leak again. But, as far as Laron is concerned, the floor is "fixed", so he's not too worried about it. But as for me, I'm still dreaming for the day when my entire kitchen floor will be the same color...

Then, around the first week of December, I got a phonecall from my Mom asking me if I wanted a free piano. I was pretty skeptical when I asked for details, because I knew from my experience looking for a used piano on KSL that free meant in terrible condition. But she said her next door neighbor was getting a grand piano & was looking for someone to give their old one to before the following weekend (when they'd be hosting a big get-together). I still was hesitant, although grateful for the offer, because while I knew that my "dream piano" was now farther away than ever, I also didn't want some ugly, shabby looking thing in my nice new house cluttering it up, even if it was a piano. And so I went to look at it, and although it certainly wasn't exactly what I was looking for, it was in pretty nice condition for being "free". It definitely could use some touch-ups (if I could just figure out how to touch-up a piano!), but I think the longer we've had it, the more I like it. And interestingly enough, the following week I was given a calling to be a Music Director in Young Women's (putting together musical numbers & teaching camp songs, etc.), & just this last week was given the calling of playing the piano in Relief Society (in addition to my other calling). And so, I'm realizing that when the Lord has a need for you in His kingdom, he prepares the way for you to fulfill it. He didn't grant me the wish of my "dream piano", but he filled my need of obtaining a way to practice the piano for my callings through another avenue.

Also, another blessing through the whole piano adventure was that my parent's neighbors were needing to down-size their Christmas tree in order to have room in their living room for their new Grand Piano, and so that was offered to us as well! Just a few weeks earlier, when we were setting up our old Christmas tree (a hand-me-down that was only 4 feet tall), I was sulking over the fact that our Christmas tree looked so pitiful in our nice, new house & was feeling sorry for myself that we'd not been able to purchase a nice, new full one. But the Spirit whispered to me to just be patient, and so I'd been praying to be able to be content with what we had until next year. And so, when we put together this magnificant, FREE 7-foot Christmas tree in our living room only a few weeks later, I had to shed a tear as I realized how mindful & aware Heavenly Father is of our concerns, no matter how frivilous they sometimes may seem.

And so we come to our last area of concern, worry, & excitement. About a year ago, Laron was feeling unhappy with his job situation (working nights & not working with people), and so we were praying about what other routes to try (we've tried a LOT of different things). Through kind-of a series of events & details, we really felt like Laron needed to explore the option of becoming a Seminary Teacher. And so, for the last year, he has been taking classes to do just that. A few weeks ago he taught Seminary in a local high-school for 2 weeks & was observed and evaluated, and now we're just waiting for the final word on whether he'll make the "cut" to go on to Student Teaching. Everyone that I've told about this admits that they think Laron would make a GREAT Seminary Teacher & I totally have to agree (although I might be a little partial!)... He has great people-skills & has a personality & a love for the gospel that is very contageous. The only tricky part is that only 3 people out of his class will be chosen to go on to Student Teaching, so it is VERY competitive! If he gets chosen to go on, then he'll do Student Teaching for a year (while still having to work on top of it) & have ONLY that time-period to be potentially offered a job (they don't put people's names on a waiting-list for the next year or anything). So even if he makes this cut, it still will be a hard next year of work & lesson preparation & waiting for a job offer. But we know that if this is what is meant to be, that all the details will work out, just like they have in other areas of our lives. We know that the Lord has a plan for us, but it's often difficult trying to figure it out.

But our waiting period for this portion is almost over, as we should find out next Monday (May 9th) whether or not he's made the cut. And so, here's to wishing Laron the best of luck & letting him know that he's #1 in my book!

Easter Egg Hunts Galore!

Easter this year was a PACKED weekend full of Easter Egg Hunt after Easter Egg Hunt... That wasn't how it was originally planned out, but we just kind-of went with it & I think the kids had fun. Laron was working (or sleeping--he works nights) through all of it though, which made for a crazy weekend for Mom, but I suppose it was worth it. We started off early Saturday morning to go to an Easter Egg Hunt at Smith's (the Grocery Store), where the kids enjoyed being able to run up & down an aisle covered with candy for just other little kids their ages. Skyler even got an egg with a coupon in it that said he could pick out his own 2-liter bottle of pop, which he was SO excited about!

Then, on our way home, we noticed a local park that was about ready to do an Easter Egg Hunt, so we pulled over & joined in the fun there. This one was probably our least favorite one though, because the kids FROZE while we waited for it to be time to start. I guess I hadn't dressed them quite warm enough for an outdoor hunt, since the one we were originally going to was an indoor one. So sorry guys!

Then we headed home to go through our spoils... And BOY were they spoiled! Kimberly definitely got into it, and felt like she needed a piece of candy in her hand & mouth through the entire process. And I probably gave in a little more than I should have, because well, it WAS Easter after all!

Then, that afternoon, right after the kids woke up from naps, we had a neighbor boy come over and ask us if we wanted to come over to their house for another Easter Egg Hunt (sorry, no pictures)... They've got this really great field in their backyard & apparently invite neighbor kids over for it every year. And the kids sure didn't seem to mind that it was our 3rd hunt for the day. Actually, this one was probably our favorite one, mainly because it was a little slower paced, so the kids could just wander around their huge field and find plenty of candy scattered out all over. And at this one, Kimberly finally seemed to be figuring out the whole concept of picking up candy and putting it into the basket... Before she seemed to be nervous about handing over her candy to me, because I think she figured I probably wouldn't give it back! Smart girl!

About 20 minutes after we got done with that Easter Egg Hunt, we headed down to Bountiful to my Aunt Linda's for our 4th & final hunt for the day. The kids still seemed to enjoy it, but I was thankful that my parents & brothers were there for this one, to help me out a little with the kids!

And then Sunday afternoon, we traveled to North Salt Lake to my other Grandma's for our 5th Easter Egg hunt of the season. By this time my kids were pros. Neither kid needed or wanted my help (but help from Grandma & Papa was okay) & it was kind-of relaxing to just sit back & watch them run around all excited.

I can't imagine that we'll ever go to FIVE Easter Egg Hunts in one weekend again, but for now, I just hope the kids enjoyed it! And although we had fun, I sure don't know what I'm going to do with all this Easter candy!!! :)

Yikes!

So, we've had a pretty eventful last couple of days around her... Yesterday Kimberly woke up with spots all over her, almost like the start of chicken pox or something. But she had just gotten the "Chicken Pox Vaccine" 2 weeks earlier, so I figured that that couldn't be it. Right? Or could it possibly be some sort of reaction to the vaccine? But 2 weeks later? I just wasn't sure. But they didn't seem to be bothering her at the moment, so I gave her a bath & just tried to keep an eye on it. By 3:00, the "spots" seemed to be spreading, so I called & talked to a nurse to see if this could possibly be a side-effect from the vaccine, but she didn't think so & said not to worry about it unless it seemed to be bothering her. But by 6:00 that night, they had turned into even bigger splotches & now looked like this...

AND, she now seemed to notice them & was scratching all over (as much as a 1-year-old can), but of course, all doctor's offices were now closed for the night & we'd have to wait it out throught the LONG night to figure out what was wrong with her.

The next morning she woke up terribly miserable & crabby and NOW her rash looked like THIS...
(*How do kids still manage to smile for a picture, even when they feel terrible?!?)

NOW it was turning into one great big rashy area, instead of individual spots as much, so my original conclusion of chicken pox was long gone, but I was still clueless! There is nothing so frustrating at not knowing what is wrong with your child & what you can do to help them... So we called the doctor's office as early as we could & made an appointment, hoping for answers & a solution more than just to "wait it out". By the time we got to the doctor's office, only a mere 24 hours since I'd first noticed these spots, she now had them covering almost her entire stomach, under her armpits, along her diaper line, behind her ears, on the back of her neck & even on her eyelids, which seemed to be starting to swell up. I hadn't started using any new laundry detergent, we hadn't given her any new foods in the last few days that I could think of, she wasn't on any new medications at the moment... What was wrong with my little girl?

FINALLY though, we seemed to be getting answers: She had a really bad case of HIVES! I'm not sure why, but that thought had never crossed my mind, especially since I'd been so worried about this being a reaction to her chicken pox vaccine. But the big question that's still on our minds is, What are her hives from? The doctor gave us several possibilities (like a food allergy, or from getting too hot or too cold, or it could just be your body's way of dealing with a sickness ONE TIME & it'll never happen again-- WHO KNOWS?), but of course we'll never know for sure unless maybe it happens again, which we're hoping it doesn't.

After we got home, we gave her an antihistamine & a steroid from the doctor (which he gave her because her hives were SO bad!) & she fell asleep within an hour for a 4-hour nap! After she woke up, she looked remarkably better & seemed to be feeling better as well. So for now, it looks like she's on the mend, although I think she's got a couple of days before her complection will be perfectly baby-smooth again. But WOW, thank goodness for doctors & medicines & prayers & 4-hour-naps! We're so glad to have our smiling Kimberly back with us again!

Don't Dance So Fast

I heard this poem at a Relief Society activity a couple weeks ago where a lady came & talked to us who was having a hard time finding the joy in everyday motherhood a few years ago... That is, until she accidentally ran over her 3-year-old son, resulting in his death. Needless to say, this poem hit home for many of us young moms in the audience, hoping beyond hope that this could be a lesson we wouldn't have to learn the hard way...

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round
Or listened to the rain
Lapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down
Don’t dance so fast
Time is short
The music won’t last.

Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask, “How are you?”
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done,
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You’d better slow down
Don’t dance so fast
Time is short
The music won’t last.

Ever told your child,
We’ll do it tomorrow,
And in your hast, not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
‘Cause you never had time
To call and say “hi”?
You’d better slow down
Don’t dance so fast
Time is short
The music won’t last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day
It is like an unopened gift...
Thrown away...
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

St. Patrick's Day

This year we had quite an eventful St. Patrick's Day week... A couple of days before, we invited over Skyler's friend Megan & had a little "St. Patrick's Day Party". I'm not a big party-thrower, but the idea kind-of came to me one day as we were driving in the car, so I decided to go with it! Skyler & Megan both had a blast & Skyler was SO excited to be inviting someone over to HIS party...

First we played a "Hide the Shamrock" Game & then they ate a GREEN little lunch.

(Skyler LOVED helping me figure these out!)

I was impressed how many green foods we could come up with that weren't veggies!

Then, after the kids played for awhile, we went outside & followed some mysterious green Leprechaun footprints that led into our shed, where the kids were delighted to find a stash of green cookies that the Leprechaun had hidden! Our little "party" was pretty simple, but pretty fun! Maybe we'll even attempt to do one again NEXT year!

And THEN, we went to "Storytime" at the Library the day before St. Patrick's Day, where they of course talked all about Leprechauns... Specifically how to catch Leprechauns & about how tricky they are. So, of course, Skyler was anxious to set up our OWN Leprechaun trap that night, hoping to catch a Leprechaun & ask him where his gold was buried. Skyler wasn't sure that we had the right trap-building materials like in the Library book story, but Laron & him came up with this...

I was anxious all night for Skyler to wake up, after having learned all about Leprechauns the day before & how they make big messes & try and trick you out of telling you where their gold is... And so, after some quick last minute work, Skyler woke up to this:

He came into our room bright & early, with his shoulders hunched & his head hanging down, saying rather disappointedly, "Mom, I thought I caught the Leprechaun, but I didn't", he said with a shake of his head. But then his face brightened up with a mixture between horror & excitement, "But that Leprechaun made a terrible, horrible, super-duper mess in my room!" Of course, Laron & I expressed our amazement & condolences.

Then Skyler looked around OUR room & noticed clothes laying all around on the floor by Laron's side of the bed... "Dad!" Skyler exclaimed, "The Leprechaun made a mess in YOUR room too!" Then Laron had to explain that HE actually had made that mess, not the Leprechaun. Skyler got a funny expression on his face & said, "Dad, then YOU'RE kind-of like a Leprechaun!"

After Kimberly woke up, they both took a closer look at the mess the Leprechaun left behind...Kimberly was VERY worried about her diapers that were scattered all over...

Then Skyler noticed the note that the Leprechaun had left him under his "trap." After that he was determined to find where the Leprechaun had hidden his gold (especially after he realized that the Leprechaun had taken his money that we'd left as bait under the trap!).  So he went searching all over his room, and finally found a bag of GOLD candy hidden in one of his drawers... Boy was he excited! "Ha Ha!," he said, "I tricked him! I found his gold!"

And then, in the fridge that morning, we found a fun green pudding treat left for us from the Leprechaun. Skyler was in shock... "Maybe Leprechauns aren't mean," he said, "Maybe they're nice... I thought they were mean!" I was glad I had taken the time the night before to do this one last finishing touch, because I think Skyler was starting to get a little worried about what kind of terrible creature a Leprechaun must be (or the "Leopard" as he sometimes called it).

And then, once I thought the St. Patrick's Day fun was over, Skyler found a bag of GOLD screws under his bed, so he spent the rest of the morning looking all over the house for any more gold-treasures that the Leprechaun might have left behind... I think Skyler was almost MORE excited about finding the screws then the candy as he exclaimed, "Oh yeah! Now I can build stuff with Dad!" He was a little disappointed when I explained to him that they were actually screws to put together the diaper-changing table under his bed & that the Leprechaun must have just thought they were gold-treasure on accident.

So, all in all, we had a pretty eventful St. Patrick's Day. The day was full of questions from an inquisitive & excited Skyler all about Leprechauns. By 11:00, Laron commented to me, "We're going to be talking about Leprechauns ALL day long, aren't we?!" I just gave him a grin as I thought to myself how much funner kids make the holidays. I've tried to cook green food or something for Laron in the past on St. Patrick's Day (if I remember), but nothing could compare to the "St. Patrick's Day Party" & Leprechaun-catching fun we've had this week with Skyler!

An Amazing Weekend

So this past weekend was pretty amazing, for two different reasons. First of all, my brother Tim got his mission call to Conception, Chile a week or two ago & so took his endowments out this weekend at the Manti Temple (he's going to school down there). It was fun to be with family, to go through the temple with my little brother, & to go through a session in Manti (I'd never been there before).

BUT, I have to say that the part that sticks out in my mind the MOST about the weekend (besides being in the car ALL DAY!), happened afterwards... You see, my parents had boughten us all some lunch & then we met at Tim's apartment there in Ephraim afterwards. There wasn't too many of us that actually made the long trip down there, but as soon as lunch was over, my Grandparents were anxious to get on their way home (probably because of the terrible snow storms we had to drive through!). So while most of the family was loading up into cars outside, Laron & I, our kids & my two little brothers were left inside with my Uncle Keith, who was still finishing up his lunch in the kitchen.

Well, without giving too many details, things happened fast from there... I kind-of walked into the kitchen as my Uncle seemed to be throwing up in the sink, so I bee-lined it out of there quick, not wanting my sensitive pregnant stomach to be the next one throwing up, & realizing that most people want a little privacy at a time like that. But after a few more moments, we quickly realized that he was NOT throwing up, but was CHOCKING! Panicking, I quickly called for Laron, & luckily, he wasn't quite as overwhelmed & scared & shocked as me to know just what to do. He rushed right over & started doing the Heimlich Maneuver on him, & after what seemed to be an eternity, the food was dislodged & my Uncle was breathing again. As I was standing there at the kitchen door, shaking from the realization at what had just happened, & overhearing my Uncle mutter a quick, "Thank-you Laron," I realized just how proud I was to be married to an amazing guy like Laron at that moment.

I mean, I've thought time & time again about what a great guy Laron is & how lucky I am to have him as a husband, but never until I witnessed him saving my Uncle's life did I realize just how deeply & profoundly I loved & admired him. I guess I can't quite explain it, but I just wanted to publicly echo my Uncle's comment... "Thank-you Laron." Thank-you for sharing my life with me, for giving life to our children & for saving lives wherever you go with your zest, love & charity for others. Just like my Uncle, I'll never be able to thank-you enough...